In Ocala, Scott tours two major projects

Gov. Rick Scott, who rode into office in 2010 on a platform of job creation during a struggling economy, visited Ocala on Friday to look at two of the area's big economic development projects.

By Fred HiersStaff writer

Gov. Rick Scott, who rode into office in 2010 on a platform of job creation during a struggling economy, visited Ocala on Friday to look at two of the area's big economic development projects.

Scott toured the Ocala/Marion County Commerce Park, where FedEx Ground hopes to build a distribution center, and R+L Carriers, a trucking and logistics center set to take over the old Taylor, Bean & Whitaker building in downtown Ocala.

He described both projects as an example of local counties and cities working together "so everybody wins."

"It means more industry getting involved. People are choosing Florida ... and we're all focused on how do we get more jobs (to Florida)," he said during the hour-long visit.

Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn had hoped to show Scott much more of the city but said, given the governor's tight schedule, he only had time for the FedEx site and R+L Carriers "just to show him we're doing economic development in Ocala and how proud we are of it."

More than 20 local elected and state officials joined Scott and Guinn at the proposed FedEx site near U.S. 27 and Interstate 75, where the international shipping company plans to buy 150 acres in the Commerce Park.

The city and county are proposing about $3.5 million in incentives to attract FedEx, and the state of Florida is offering another $792,000 in tax refunds once the company begins creating jobs.

Scott used the visit to speak at length about Florida's economic recovery and shrinking unemployment rate and the role the state is playing in spurring the economic recovery.

He said the Florida Department of Transportation, for example, was focusing its road construction efforts on areas that would produce jobs, like in the Commerce Park.

Currently, Florida is offering Ocala $2.15 million for road improvements into the industrial park if the improvements resulted in job creation.

"If you think about what families care about, it's getting to work, to school," Scott said.

Asked if Florida could speed up or simplify the state's incentive process to lure more companies here, Scott said Florida DOT money must be used "very strategic" and that state and community leaders must "make sure we make smart choices" and that there was now "a very pro-business attitude in the state."

Scott said the involvement of the city, county and the state is a smart way to leverage tax dollars.

Scott said that because Florida has no state income tax, is a right-to-work state, has good colleges and shrinking corporate taxes, "we should be the number one state for job creation."